32. As-Sajdah (Prostration), 30 verses
Mecca Period 75
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
ذَلِكَ
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ
وَالشَّهَادَةِ
الْعَزِيزُ
الرَّحِيمُ
﴿٦﴾
32: 6. Such as He, the knower of all things, hidden and open, the Exalted (in power), the Merciful;
الَّذِي
أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ
شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ...
32: 7. He Who has made everything which He has created most Good.
C3636. Allah's creation in itself is good: it is beautiful, in proper proportions, and adapted for the functions it has to perform.
... وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ ﴿٧﴾
He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay,
C3637. Man is asked to contemplate his own humble beginning. His material body (apart from life) is a piece of earth or clay, which is another term for primeval matter.
Matter is therefore the first stage, but even matter was not self-created. It was created by Allah.
ثُمَّ
جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ
مِن
سُلَالَةٍ مِّن
مَّاء مَّهِينٍ
﴿٨﴾
32: 8. And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised:
C3638. Then comes life and the reproduction of life.
We are still looking at the purely physical aspect, but it is now a stage higher; it is an animal.
Its reproduction is through the sperm or semen, which is a quintessence of every part of the body of man. Yet it issues from the same part of his body as the urine, and is therefore despicable in man's sight. It is a living cell or cells, summing up so much ancestral life-history.
ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِ...
32: 9. But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit.
C3639. The third stage is indicated by "fashioned him in due proportion". Cf. 15:29.
After fertilization of ovum by the sperm, an individual life comes into existence, and it is gradually fashioned into shape, its limbs are formed; its animal life begins to function; all the beautiful adaptations come into play.
The fourth stage here mentioned is that of distinctive Man, into whom Allah's spirit is breathed. Then he rises higher than animals.
وَجَعَلَ
لَكُمُ
السَّمْعَ
وَالْأَبْصَارَ
وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ...
And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding):
C3640. As a complete man he gets the higher faculties.
The five animal senses I understand to be included in the third stage. But in the fourth stage he rises higher, and is addressed in the second person, "you," instead of the third person "him".
He has now the spiritual counterpart of hearing (i.e., the capacity of hearing Allah's Message) and seeing (i.e., the inner vision), and feeling the nobler heights of love and understanding the bearings of the inner life (both typified by the Heart). Yet with all these gifts, what thanks does unregenerate or corrupted man give to Allah?
... قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٩﴾
little thanks do ye give!
Asad’s Version:
(32:6) Such is He who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception, as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind: 5 the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace,
(32:7)[Assad] who makes most excellent everything that He creates. 6 Thus, He begins the creation of man out of clay; 7
(32:8) then He causes him to be begotten 8 out of the essence of a humble fluid;
(32:9) and then He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit:' and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as minds: 10 [yet] how seldom are you grateful!